


The Gift of Understanding

by divingforstones, wendymr



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Dialogue-Only, Fluff, M/M, Post-The Gift of Promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3288611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/divingforstones/pseuds/divingforstones, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymr/pseuds/wendymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"You can't fool me. Even if you are a bloody genius. Know you too well."</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gift of Understanding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [red2013](https://archiveofourown.org/users/red2013/gifts).



> A little piece to wish a very happy birthday to red2013. 
> 
> Many happy returns, Red :)

**The Gift of Understanding**

"So, were you serious? About MI5? Or just winding me up — again?"

"I could tell you, sir, but then, regrettably, I'd have to kill you."

"Yeah, yeah. So that'd be a no, then."

"I can neither confirm nor deny my initial denial — "

"You can't fool me. Even if you are a bloody genius. Know you too well."

"I can't fool you, sir?"

"That a challenge?"

"If you like. Two pieces of information for you to debate the relative merits of then, with one accurate, the other not. One: I was, you will be appalled to hear, top of my form every year in public school. Two: You are the true object of my affections, sir. I am secretly smitten with you and longing in vain for you to say you return my adoration."

"Very interesting, Sergeant."

"I wasn't actually — "

"Leave it with me to — debate the relative merits, was that it?"

“Yes, but I didn’t mean — ”

“You set me a challenge. No backing away from it now, man. Leave me to think it over while you get the drinks in. Mine’s a pint of Bridge.”

* * *

"So who was the posh git who beat you one year? Bet you still remember him. An' how much of a cleverclogs was he? Reckon me brain would hurt even more working with him."

“Sir... I...”

“You denyin’ you came second once?”

“Only because his mother was a professor of Classics, and she gave him extra coaching over Easter!”

"Ah, so it wasn't even anything useful he was better at, was it?"

" _Not useful_? We'd have a whole stack of unsolved cases on our files if it wasn't for my expertise in Classics. This is Oxford!"

“It is that. So, how long have you been in love with me?”

“Sir — ”

“No point denyin’ it now, soft lad. You did tell me one o’ those statements was accurate, an’ you’ve already confirmed the lie.”

"Do I have a right to remain silent?"

“Now, you know as well as I do the law’s different these days. Failure to say anythin’ in your defence now might hurt you later.”

"I don't need a defence. Guilty as charged."

"It's not a crime."

"As you say, sir. I'll speak to Innocent first thing Monday morning."

"An' why would you want to do that?"

"Well, obviously not to tell her I came second in Classics in the third form. Naturally, I'll request a transfer, effective forthwith."

"Bit soon for that, don't you think? At least give us a chance to see if this is gonna work first."

"What — us remaining partners? With respect, sir, that's not going to work for me."

“Really? Can’t cope with switching from sleepin’ with me to taking orders from me? Would’ve thought you public school lads would be all over that.”

_Cough._

"Come on, let's get you outside where you can choke less publicly. An' we can do other things less publicly too."

* * *

"Thank you for that highly effective demonstration that smoking is no longer the sole pleasure to be had in chilly beer-gardens, sir.”

"You're catching on, cleverclogs. Though maybe you need a bit more practice. Take it from someone who's more experienced."

"Experienced... how _did_ you work it out?"

“Didn’t get me DI’s warrant card free in a box of cornflakes, did I? All right, all right... Like I said, I know you. All I had to do was wait you out, an’ you’d give yourself away.”

"I didn't give anything away! There's a reason MI5 was headhunting me — all right, _what_ did I give away?"

“You got embarrassed, an’ then agitated. And, however much you like bein’ a cleverclogs, I know you wouldn’t care about me knowin’ you didn’t come top of your class every year. Simple deduction.”

"You know, sir — it’s only taken two decades for me to reach this conclusion — but on mature reflection, I think I’m really glad I didn't come top of my form one year…"

“Glad to hear it, bonny lad. Though — we are gonna have to work on your detective skills.”

“There’s nothing wrong with my detective skills.”

“You sure about that? Even after I stepped in front of a bloke with a gun for you, you still didn’t work out you weren’t the only one who felt like that?”

“You mean I didn’t need to pour my heart out to you, after all?”

“Better you than me. Now, how about we get back to the important stuff, eh?”

“You mean the kissing, I take it?”

“Right you are, canny lad, right you are.”


End file.
